On July 7 Gov. Mike Parson signed the Siddens Bening Hands Free Law, prohibiting the use of portable electronic devices while driving, making Missouri the 49th state with some form of texting ban. The District of Columbia also bans texting and driving.
As the nation battles the rising number of roadway fatalities, distracted driving continues to be among the road safety issues that most concern the NTSB and the road safety community. Distracted driving is widespread, killing thousands and injuring hundreds of thousands in the United States every year in preventable crashes. Put into context, all driving fatalities now equate to the loss of three airliners a week. In 2011, the NTSB recommended that all states and the District of Columbia ban driver use of portable electronic devices except in emergencies.
The recommendation came in response to a multivehicle crash in Gray Summit, Missouri. That involved two school buses, a truck-tractor, and a pickup truck with a teen driver. The probable cause was distraction due to text messaging by the teen driver.
Although it’s satisfying to see Missouri finally banning texting while driving, no state has fully satisfied our recommendation; rather, they are meeting this recommendation a step at a time. No state has gone far enough yet to fully ban drivers from using portable electronic devices except in support of the driving task, such as navigation. The science is very clear—humans do not multitask well, and we all pay the price in lost lives, huge number of life-altering injuries and massive insurance costs!
49 states and the District of Columbia have texting bans. Now, Montana is the only state to permit texting and driving on its roads.
The battle against distracted driving will progress a step at a time, and the NTSB congratulates Missourians for taking this one. Technology got us into this deadly situation and can end this immediately, along with legislation, proper enforcement and education.
Getting here took the collaborative efforts and hard work of many dedicated advocates, such as AAA Missouri, Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, MODOT, StopDistraction.org, the National Distracted Driving Coalition, and survivor advocates. Our thanks to the Missouri road safety community for calling on us to testify in support of your efforts and accepting us into a collaborative partnership as you worked to see this law become a reality.
The work to eliminate distracted driving must—and will—continue, and the NTSB will stand with advocates for anti-distraction laws across the nation.
By James Scheffer, Strategic Advisor, NTSB Office of Marine Safety
It’s been 40 years since the large bulk carrier SS Marine Electric tragically sank on February 12, 1983, off the Virginia coast. Nearly all aboard—31 of 34 souls—were lost. But I remember the events of that tragic day as if they happened yesterday.
On that day, I was the 34-year-old captain of the 661-foot, 34,700-DWT lube oil tanker Tropic Sun, the first vessel to respond to the Marine Electric’s early morning distress call.
On February 11, a nor’easter formed off Cape Hatteras and the Virginia coast. On land, the storm was responsible for a blizzard that set snowfall records in several eastern seaboard cities and blanketed Washington, D.C., in up to 30 inches of snow. At sea, it generated 50–60 knot winds and 30–40-foot seas.
On the evening of February 11, while on the bridge, I heard the Ocean City Coast Guard Station side of a VHF radio telephone call to the Marine Electric. The Coast Guard was acknowledging that the Marine Electric had pumps going and was telling the crew to keep the Coast Guard informed if they needed help.
Meanwhile, the Tropic Sun was rolling, the bow slamming into the swells and seas shipping across the main deck—not unusual conditions for a loaded tanker during a nor’easter. Again and again, water covered the deck; again and again, the deck emerged after each wave. We took that for granted. It was normal in a storm.
I tried—but failed—to get some sleep. The Tropic Sun was three hours from Cape Henlopen, Delaware, and another from our discharge terminal at Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania.
At 0315, the radio telegraph auto alarm went off on the bridge. The SOS was from the Marine Electric, which was taking on water and readying its lifeboats for abandoning ship. The crew needed help as soon as possible.
The Marine Electric was more than 35 miles from us. I changed course and informed the local Coast Guard station that we were responding to the SOS. On our way south to render aid, we saw an unwelcome sight, one that still makes me shake my head: vessels that must have heard the Marine Electric’s SOS sailing in the opposite direction.
When we got within a dozen miles of the Marine Electric’s last position, our hearts sank. There was no sign of the bulk carrier on radar. Before daybreak the sea was full of blinking strobe lights, which we recognized as the lights on lifejackets.
I maneuvered the ship in heavy seas to a full stop alongside more than 20 possible survivors floating in the water around 0540. At the time, the water temperature was 39F with an air temp of 34F. They were unresponsive to our calls in the dark/early morning and eerily peaceful, all dressed in winter gear and lifejackets. By all appearances, the Marine Electric‘s open lifeboats had failed to keep them out of the water and alive.
My own vessel carried the same style of open lifeboat.
The Coast Guard requested that I launch our lifeboats to retrieve the potential survivors, but I refused because of the strong winds and heavy sea conditions. The chief mate and I would not put our crew in harm’s way in the same type of open lifeboats that had so abjectly failed the crew of the Marine Electric. At the request of the Coast Guard, I agreed to stay in the area following a search pattern for any missing crewmembers. The Coast Guard thanked us for our efforts, and we resumed our voyage at dusk on February 12.
Later, while discharging cargo at Marcus Hook, some of the Tropic Sun’s crewmembers discussed buying their own survival suits, but then thought of another solution, which I gladly forwarded to management: a request for survival suits for all onboard. Within two trips (28 days), the vessel was outfitted with survival suits, the first ship to be so outfitted in our eight-ship ocean fleet. These suits, also known as immersion suits, are used without a life jacket when abandoning ship in cold conditions.
On July 18, while the investigation of the sinking was in progress, the NTSB recommended that the Coast Guard require immersion suits be provided for crewmembers, scientific personnel, and industrial workers on vessels that operate in waters below 60°F. The NTSB also made a companion recommendation to Marine Transport Lines, which operated the Marine Electric, as well as to industry groups to recommend their members also provide the suits. The suits became mandatory the following year.
The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the capsizing and sinking of the US bulk carrier Marine Electric was the flooding of several forward compartments as the result of an undetermined structural failure. The lack of thermal protection [survival suits] in the water was one of the factors contributing to the loss of life in the tragedy.
As a result of the Marine Electric’s sinking, the Coast Guard’s inspections improved, and many World War II-era (and older) vessels were scrapped. The Marine Electric tragedy also resulted in the creation of the Coast Guard’s rescue swimmer program.
The Marine Electric as seen underway before its capsizing and sinking on Feb. 12, 1983 (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)
I sailed for over 24 years with the Sun Marine Department, mostly on coastwise voyages on the east and west coast, with the occasional foreign voyage. I sailed as a captain for over 16 years without any casualties or pollution events. The night the Marine Electric was lost served as a constant reminder to me to respect the power of the sea.
Over the past 26-plus years, I have investigated dozens of accidents and supervised more than 200 accident investigations as Chief of Investigations and Chief of Product Development in the Office of Marine Safety at the NTSB. And since then, we have seen the emergence of technologies and innovations that, combined with survival suits, could have helped prevent such tragedies, such as personal locator beacons.
However, I will never forget the night the Marine Electric sank, and neither will the other members of the Tropic Sun’s crew. While events in our lives have sent each of us forward on our separate courses, whenever we meet, our conversations converge on that evening 40 years ago.
This anniversary has passed, but the memory of those 31 mariners will not.
Those of us aboard the Tropic Sun fared far better that night; however, our similarities to the crew that was lost drove home two points about losses at sea. First, if we are telling the story, we are the fortunate ones. And second, nothing is more important than taking fortune out of the equation by making life at sea safer.
By Stephanie Shaw, Acting Chief, NTSB Safety Advocacy Division
This week, families and friends will gather to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. According to estimates from AAA, nearly 55 million people will travel away from home this year, with about 49 million of them taking to the roads.
As we mark the beginning of the holiday travel season, we want to ensure that everyone arrives safely at their destinations. Unfortunately, travel on our roads can be the riskiest mode of travel during the holiday season.
NTSB investigations continue to highlight actions needed by regulators, legislators, and industry to ensure the safest transportation system for the traveling public. Our Most Wanted List (MWL) identifies specific transportation safety improvements needed across all modes. It includes five road safety improvements that address pervasive problems like speeding, alcohol and other drug impairment, and distraction. The MWL also calls for collision-avoidance and connected vehicle technologies and implementation of a Safe System Approach to better protect all road users.
At the NTSB, we believe that safety is a shared responsibility, so for the traveling public, we’ve highlighted some ways you can keep yourself and others safe, regardless of the travel mode you choose.
By Car
Impairment by alcohol and other drugs, unsafe speeds, fatigue, and distraction continue to play major roles in crashes. Here’s what you can do:
Designate a sober driver, or call a taxi, or ridesharing service if your holiday celebrations involve alcohol or other impairing drugs.
Follow safe speeds. In bad weather, safe speeds are often below the designated speed limit. Speeding increases the chance of being involved in a crash and intensifies the severity of crash injuries.
Make sure you’re well rested! A fatigued driver is just as dangerous as one impaired by alcohol or other drugs.
Avoid distractions. Don’t take or make calls or text while driving, even using a hands-free device. Set your navigation system before you start driving. If you’re traveling with others, ask them to navigate.
Ensure you and all your passengers are buckled up! In a crash, seat belts (and proper child restraints) are your best protection against death and serious injuries.
By Bus
The NTSB has made recommendations to improve motorcoach operations and vehicle crashworthiness, but travelers should know what to do in an emergency.
Pay attention to safety briefings and know where the nearest emergency exit is. If it’s a window or roof hatch, make sure you know how to use it.
Ask your driver to give you a safety briefing if you’re unsure of where the exits are or how to use them.
Use your seat belt when they’re available!
By Plane or Boat
These tips can help you and your loved ones in an emergency on planes or vessels.
Pay close attention to the safety briefing! Airline and marine accidents have become very rare, but you and your family can be safer by being prepared.
Know where to find the nearest emergency exit and flotation device whether you’re on an airplane or a boat.
Confirm that you and your traveling companions—even children under age 2—have your own seats and are buckled up when flying.
Don’t forget your child’s car seat. The label will usually tell you if your child car seat is certified for airplane use; the owner’s manual always has this information.
Call the airline and ask what the rules are for using a child’s car seat on your flight, if you don’t already know.
Follow crewmember instructions and remain calm in an emergency.
By Train
The NTSB has made recommendations to improve passenger rail operations and vehicle crashworthiness, but travelers should also follow these safety tips.
Stow carry-ons in the locations provided (overhead and racks). Don’t block aisles.
Review your trains safety information which may be provided as a safety card in your seat pocket or displayed in your railcar.
Follow crewmember instructions and remain calm in an emergency.
No matter how you travel, make a commitment to put safety first.
This annual observance provides a time to reflect on the real people behind the statistics: mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, colleagues, best friends, and neighbors.
It’s a time to support those who’ve lost a loved one to the public health crisis on our roads.
And it’s a time to act, starting with NTSB recommendations.
Lessons from Tragedy
Since last year’s World Day of Remembrance, the NTSB has made 26 new recommendations to improve road safety. All remain open.
Where did these recommendations come from? They are the result of rigorous NTSB investigations into devastating crashes, outlined below. Each one is a lesson from tragedy, which is why we don’t rest until a recommendation is implemented.
At the NTSB, we believe the most meaningful thing we can do for victims of traffic violence is to advocate for our safety recommendations.
In other words: we choose to honor the victims with action.
Here are just some of the victims we’re remembering today — along with the recommended safety improvements to best honor their memory.
Today we remember two people who were killed and seven who were injured in a Belton, SC, crash between an SUV and a bus carrying disabled passengers. The actions we demand on their behalf include the following:
Ban nonemergency use of portable electronic devices, like cellphones, for all drivers.
Recruit cellphone manufacturers in the fight against distracted driving; they should automatically disable distracting functions when a vehicle is in motion.
Provide annual safety training for people employed to transport wheelchair users.
Develop a side-impact protection standard for new, medium-size buses, regardless of weight — and require compliance.
We should honor the victims of the Pennsylvania Turnpike crash that injured 50 people and killed five others — including a nine-year-old child — by taking the following actions:
Develop performance standards for advanced speed-limiting technology, connected-vehicle technology, and collision-avoidance systems — and require their use on new vehicles, as appropriate.
Require newly manufactured heavy vehicles to have onboard video event recorders.
Deploy connected-vehicle technology nationwide.
Take a comprehensive approach to eliminate speeding. Among other measures, this means thinking long and hard about the 85th percentile approach and using speed safety cameras, which includes working to remove restrictions against them.
Here’s what we must do to honor the three people who were killed and the 18 who were injured when a bus overturned in Pala Mesa, California:
Require all new buses to meet a roof strength standard.
Sponsor research into safe tire tread depths for commercial vehicles.
Require seat belt use.
The best way to remember the victims of the Decatur, Tennessee, school bus crash that injured 14 people and killed two people, including a 7-year-old child, is to take the following steps:
Make lap-shoulder belts mandatory in new school buses.
Require lane-departure prevention systems on heavy vehicles.
And what about the nine people who died in a head-on crash in Avenal, California, on New Year’s Day — seven of whom were children? We must implement the following NTSB recommendations in their memory:
Encourage vehicle manufacturers to combat alcohol-impaired driving by accelerating progress on advanced impaired driving prevention technology and finding new ways to use existing technology, like driver monitoring systems.
Incentivize vehicle manufacturers and consumers to adopt intelligent speed adaptation (ISA) systems. One way to achieve this is to include ISA in the New Car Assessment Program. Notably, ISA became mandatory in July 2022 for all new models of vehicles introduced in the European Union.
Develop a common standard of practice for drug toxicology testing by state officials.
Remember. Support. Act.
Even as we advocate for our safety recommendations, more crashes are occurring daily — which means more investigations. The work continues.
And yet, we cannot let the magnitude of the road safety crisis deter us.
We must keep fighting for zero, which is only possible through a Safe System Approach.
We must fight for road users around the world who deserve to be safe.
We must fight for those whose lives are forever changed by traffic violence.
We must fight for those who are no longer here to fight for themselves.
For all these people and more, the NTSB will keep fighting. And so will I.
This week is Teen Driver Safety Week, a time dedicated to raising awareness and seeking solutions to prevent teen driving-related deaths and injuries on the road.
The NTSB has long advocated for preventive measures that would address the common factors—distractions, fatigue, impairment, speeding, and lack of seat belt use—contributing to teen driving-related crashes, deaths, and injuries. The NTSB has recommended that states enact robust graduated driver license (GDL) programs that include cell phone, passenger, and nighttime driving restrictions. We’ve also called for collision avoidance and other vehicle safety technologies to be standard on all vehicles. Finally, we encourage adoption of a Safe System Approach to protect all road users from death and serious injury.
On Wednesday, October 19, the NTSB will host a Teen Driver Safety Week webinar focused on effective safety advocacy strategies. The event will bring together youth leaders and traffic safety advocates to discuss four valuable strategies for teen driver safety advocacy, including:
Peer-to-Peer Education
Empowering Parents and Community Members
Connecting Through Digital Media and Technology
Grassroots Advocacy
While we highlight Teen Driver Safety Week in October, we are committed to advocating all year long for needed safety improvements to keep young people safe on the roads.
NTSB Safety Compass Blog 